"Cygnus X-1" is a two-part composition by Canadianprogressive rock band Rush. The first part, "Book I: The Voyage", is the last song on the A Farewell to Kings album and the second part, "Book II: Hemispheres", is the first song on the following album Hemispheres. Book I clocks in at ten minutes and twenty-five seconds (10:25), and Book II is eighteen minutes and eight seconds (18:08).

Contents

A mysterious black hole, titled Cygnus X-1 (believed to be an actual black hole), lies in the constellation of Cygnus. An explorer aboard the ship Rocinante is drawn in by the black hole. As he moves closer, it becomes increasingly difficult to control the ship and he is eventually drawn in by the pull of gravity. His final words in Book I are: "Sound and fury drown my heart/Every nerve is torn apart." Just before the final note a faint heartbeat is heard.

The explorer re-enters the story midway through Book II. He has emerged into Olympus, where he witnesses the gods Apollo and Dionysus caught up in the struggle between Mind and Heart. Prior to his arrival, the logical thinkers are led by Apollo and the emotional people are ruled by Dionysus. Apollo had shown the people how to build cities and explore the depths of science and knowledge, but Dionysus had lured many of them into the wild forests and provided love, which many felt that Apollo's society was missing. A conflict now breaks out as the two different ways of life clash. Short snippets of Book I are heard in the background to mark the explorer's entry into this realm.

When he reflects on what he sees, he becomes tormented in the lack of balance of the people who insist on one extreme or the other. His silent scream of terror is felt by the warriors and causes them to rethink their struggle and unite together. The gods recognize the explorer as a nascent new god and name him Cygnus, the God of Balance.

Although the storyline revolves around this science fiction world, it uses Greek mythology to explain the double meaning. "Cygnus X-1" is primarily about the discovery of two conflicting ways of life, and two vastly different ways in which the human mind thinks (logic and emotion are separated into separate sides, or hemispheres, of the brain). The balance point (Cygnus) allows the mind to think with some logic and emotion at the same time, allowing people to be analytical, but not unemotional.

"Prologue" This starts with a dissonant electronic soundscape and spoken introduction by sound engineer Terry Brown. Afterwards, a heavily syncopated bass riff in shifting time signatures (3/4, 7/8, 3/4, 4/4) fades in, with the full band joining in as the introductory sound effects fade out.

"Part 1" The shortest section of the song describes the black hole itself, and asks the question of what happens to someone who flies into it.

"Part 2" The protagonist sails into the black hole on board his "Rocinante". This section contains a wah-wah guitar solo by Alex Lifeson.

"Part 3" The climactic section of Book I uses a chord sequence first heard at 3:21 in the Prologue. The lyrics describe the "Rocinante" spinning out of control, and the protagonist's body being destroyed ("every nerve is torn apart"). This section includes the highest note sung by Geddy Lee on any studio album (Bb5 at 9:27). The song fades out with a repeated chord sequence, which returns at 11:56 in Book II, along with the sound of a beating heart.

"Prelude" Like "Overture" from "2112", the Prelude contains many themes to be heard later on.

"Apollo: Bringer of Wisdom" Apollo represents the left hemisphere. 'Left-brainers' are often logical thinkers, adept at math. Apollo was the Greek god of the sun and the arts.

"Dionysus: Bringer of Love" Dionysus was the Greek god of wine and fertility (read the right hemisphere.) He stood for uninhibited desire in Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy and Human, All Too Human and was the extreme opposite of Apollo. 'Rightbrainers' are most common, and include people who are artistic and sensitive.

"Armageddon: The Battle of Heart and Mind" A reference to the Biblical war, but in this case Apollo and Dionysus pull man in opposite directions, toward Order or Chaos, respectively. The debate between classical and romantic (Apollonian and Dionysian) cultures is ongoing. The left stereo channel switches to the right for dramatic effect when Lee sings the word 'hemispheres'.

"Cygnus: Bringer of Balance" The chords played at the end of The Voyage return here. The explorer from The Voyage is frightened by the fighting and, after hearing the explorer's silent cry of terror, Apollo and Dionysus stop fighting and dub him Cygnus, god of Balance.

"The Sphere" Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility may be alluded to in the last few lines of the song.[1]

Rush performed the cycle (Book I followed by Book II) on the Hemispheres Tour and the Permanent Waves Tour. The band also played it on the Permanent Waves Warmup Tour, with the absence of Parts 2 (Apollo: Bringer of Wisdom) and 3 (Dionysus: Bringer of Love) from Book II. Since then, an abbreviated version of book one is occasionally played live with only the instrumental section, as is seen on Rush in Rio and R30. Occasionally, the "Prelude" from Book II is also performed. During the Time Machine Tour, a part of Book I was played as an outro to the finale Working Man. This outro was a surprise to fans and was very well received.[citation needed]